The Sheik's Baby Surprise (19 page)

With the help of these three ladies, she was determined to turn the tables.  She was his wife!  He could not protect her from the world like this! 

Chloe coddled Lika while the ladies sat around the dining room table, clicking away at brand new, powerful computers and with a growing array of papers taped all over the walls showing the results of their investigation. 

“I found something else,” Livia said, her eyes scanning some information.  “Here, I’ll print it out.”

The four of them read through the details, nodding their heads.  “That makes sense,” Sasha agreed.  The caption on the news article explained how leaders in Sistrain, the country more inland from Sarkit and having no ocean or water exits, was causing trouble with other countries.  Nothing overt towards Sarkit that the ladies could uncover.  Yet.  But Sarkit was much more powerful than the other countries.  And with Malik at the helm of Sarkit, there were implications from the Sistrainian government about how they weren’t willing to rock that boat.  Yet. 

Jina tapped a pencil against her nose.  The four of them had been working almost non-stop for the past ten hours.  While the men were in Sarkit trying to discover the “who” of this mess, Sierra, Livia, Sasha and Jina were trying to figure out the “why”. 

Jina’s eyes narrowed as Livia pinned the latest clue up on the board where they’d been building their case.  “Okay, so make the connections.”

The four of them continued to work well into the night, Jina taking time to feed Lika and cuddle with her, walking around the dining room where they were set up with Lika in her arms while they brainstormed.  In fact, all four ladies did a bit of snuggling with the little girl, needing that connection and the innocence of her smiles or her sleeping face while they dug into the maliciousness of the world.

By the time the sun was coming up over the horizon, the ladies were exhausted but satisfied as they leaned against the table, surveying what they’d finally figured out.  Around midnight, they’d started connecting strings to the various articles they’d pulled up and all of them were somehow tying back to members of the Sistrain government. 

“Dougal?” Sasha called, wanting to show her bodyguard what they’d figured out. 

The man stepped into the room, obviously having stationed himself right outside the dining room doors. 

“What do you think?” she asked, pointing to the board with all of the connections. 

Dougal looked through the information, his eyes widening as he took in all of their research.  “This can’t be right,” he mumbled.  But even as his eyes continued to scan the words, he was dialing a number on his cell phone. 

“I’m putting you on speaker,” he said when his boss came onto the line.

The women explained the progression of their investigation and the men at the other end of the line interrupted often to clarify or ask additional questions. 

After thirty minutes, there was silence before Damon’s head of security said, “Okay, I’m bringing this to Mr. Galanos.  Standby.  I’ll call you back if we need more.”

Chloe walked in at that moment with steaming cups of coffee.  “I know you ladies have been awake all night.  But it is time to take a break,” she ordered. “Dougal, you too.  Sit,” she commanded. 

Everyone sat down.  She then poured coffee or herbal tea into each of the cups and passed them around.  “I have breakfast in the oven but you’re all going to have some fruit first.  You need a healthy start to the day,” she announced. 

Lika, who had been sleeping at the other end of the dining room, Jina not wanting her daughter out of her sight as the four of them sifted through information on the dregs of humanity, started to make her presence known.  “I’ll take care of the wee one,” Chloe announced and walked over to the bassinet, lifting the little girl into her arms and cooing to soothe the infant.  “Oh yes, you need a new diaper and a full belly, don’t ya?” she announced. 

The baby girl clasped the housekeeper’s red cheeks with her hands, in full agreement with all of the suggestions. 

The phone rang just as Chloe was bringing out a cheesy egg casserole in one hand and Lika in the other. 

“What have you found, love?” Damon asked, his voice serious but everyone could hear the concern in his voice. 

The ladies once again explained their findings.  They couldn’t e-mail the links to his phone, not sure who might be intercepting data while he was at Malik’s palace.  When they were finished, they all heard his muttered curse.  “I’ll relay this to Malik.”  There was another pause before he said, “Ladies, this is incredible information.  We’ve had a team following a suspect, but we couldn’t get into this like you have been able to, not without alerting someone to our suspicions.  You’ve turned a potentially weeks-long investigation into an overnight success.”  He laughed softly.  “Sasha, when I see you again,” he started, but he didn’t finish his statement, leaving the rest of them to wonder what he meant. 

But the pink staining his wife’s lovely cheeks told each of them what his promise was and they smiled. 

“Oh goodness,” Chloe said.  “They’ll be in that bedroom all day long,” she mumbled as she walked back into the kitchen, still retaining control of Lika. 

“I don’t think I’m going to be allowed to get a nanny,” Sasha commented as she watched her housekeeper with her newest friend’s daughter. 

Jina laughed.  “She’s wonderful.”

Sasha agreed.  “Okay, how about if we take a break and shower, change into something more comfortable.  I think a nap is in order.  Anyone else?”

Jina wholeheartedly agreed.  “But what about…”

Livia shook her head even as she stood up and stretched.  “Don’t even think about taking Lika out of Chloe’s arms.  That woman is in heaven and until you are able to get back to Sarkit, Chloe is that girl’s grandmother.”

Jina laughed again.  “Okay.  I’ll nap and then come back and get her.”

“There is a pool in the back if anyone wants to refresh that way,” she offered as they each trudged out of the room.

Five hours later, Jina gasped as she sat up in bed.  “Lika!”

A knock sounded on the door and Chloe slipped her head in the door.  “Sorry to disturb your sleep, love, but this little one is getting a bit antsy.  I’ve given her some food, but I think she wants her mother.”

Jina sighed, pushing her hair out of her eyes.  “Oh, Chloe, thank you for the break.  I really needed some sleep and I’m so sorry for abandoning her to your care for so long.”

“Oh nonsense.  I loved having her with me.  She’s a dear!”  The woman handed the little girl over, then turned and walked out.  “I’m making some lunch and I want you and the little one downstairs as soon as you’re finished.”

Jina nursed Lika and enjoyed the quiet time with her daughter, but her mind was focused on Malik.  She wondered if he was okay and prayed that she would get some information soon.  It was miserable to not know where he was or if he was even alive.  The men they’d researched the night before were bad men, willing to do anything to gain power in their country even if it meant bringing down Sarkit.  Malik wouldn’t let them do that, she knew, but to what lengths would he go to protect his country?

Very far, she knew. 

Which only terrified her more. 

Malik stepped out of the limousine, almost tearing the door off of the hinges in his need to see his family. 

The others stepped out more slowly, willing to give the man some time alone with his wife. 

“Jina!” Malik shouted as soon as he stepped into the foyer of the peaceful villa. 

Chloe stepped out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron.  “About time you arrived, young man!” she snapped.  “And there’s no use yelling.  She won’t hear you.”

“Where did she go?” Malik demanded, already pulling his phone out, ready to get his plane refueled and back in the air.  He wasn’t wasting another moment.  He wanted his family back beside him and he was going to move heaven and earth to make that happen. 

“Oh pish,” Chloe said and shook her head.  “She’s just out in the back with the other ladies in the pool.  That adorable little girl of yours loves the water.  One would think she was supposed to be a mermaid,” the housekeeper chuckled.  But she was now talking to herself because Malik was already rushing through the back doors, determined to find his family and hold both of his ladies in his arms. 

As soon as he burst through the glass doors, he stopped cold.  Four women, well, three women and one little girl, were splashing about in the pool, sunshine sparkling off of the crystal clear waters.  Lika was the first to see him and her smile split her adorable, chubby face and her tiny hands splashed the water while her chubby legs wiggled underneath the floating circle that was holding her safely above the water.  The rest of the ladies were a bit slower to react, but as soon as Jina saw him, she too burst into a smile. 

But a moment later, that smile disappeared and her anger came back.  “Don’t you dare come any closer!” she told him. 

Malik ignored her.  He barely took the time to slip his shoes off before he dove into the water.  In a swift movement, he lifted Lika and Jina into his arms.  One of them was wiggling in order to get closer, the other was wiggling to get out of his arms but he held both of them securely even while he whipped his hair back and forth to get the water out of his eyes. 

Kissing Lika gently on the cheek and nuzzling her nose, he then turned to smile down into Jina’s angry eyes.  “Hello, love.”

“Don’t you dare ‘love’ me you horrible bastard!”

Malik only chuckled and pulled her closer.  “Ah, you love me.  And you knew exactly what I was doing.”  He kissed her, harder this time.  “As soon as you figured out what I was trying to do, you fixed it so that we could all be together again.”

She was already trembling now, just from the one kiss.  Jina tried to hold onto her anger, but he was grinning triumphantly and she couldn’t resist this man.  Never had been able to do it and now was no exception. 

“I hate you.”

“You love me.  Otherwise, you wouldn’t have found all of that information and gotten rid of the threat so quickly.”

“It’s over?”

“Yes.  I found the culprit.”

“Who was it?” she asked, staring up at him with wide, hopeful eyes. 

“A guard named Musef was the man who threatened you a year ago,” he explained.

That was startling news.  “Musef?” she whispered, shivering at the realization that the man that who had been in charge of keeping her safe was the primary threat.  “But why?”

“Money,” he said simply.  “He was bribed.  Once you and the ladies here figured out the reason behind the threats, we were able to trace the money from Musef back to the Prime Minister of Sistrain.  We wouldn’t have figured it out if it weren’t for the money trail and bugs.”

Jina’s eyes widened in surprise.  “Listening devices?”

“Yes.  They were all over the palace.  Aaron tried to resign once they were discovered but I wouldn’t let him go.” 

Jina leaned against his chest, unaware of Sierra, Sasha and Livia slipping out of the pool to be with their husbands.  She only had eyes for one man.  “I’m glad that Aaron will stick around.  He’s a good man.”  She grimaced.  “He just needs to learn to change a diaper,” she laughed.

Malik threw back his head, laughing at the memory of how they’d taped the diaper on Lika.  Turning to nuzzle his baby daughter’s cheek, he said, “You didn’t mind, did you?”

Lika’s only response was to smack her baby hands on his cheeks. 

Jina realized what he was wearing and pulled back.  “Malik, you dove into the pool in your clothes!” she gasped.

He chuckled, delighted that his family was safe.  “What’s the problem?”

Jina thought about that for a moment.  “I love you.”

He bent lower to kiss her gently.  “I love you too.  And we’re going home.”

Her smile brightened.  “Then I guess we don’t have any problems, do we?” she sighed happily. 

Slowly, the casket was lowered into the ground.  Scarlett’s handkerchief couldn’t keep up with the tears, so she just allowed them to flow down her cheeks, ignoring the wetness as she tried to deal with the pain of losing the man who had become her second father. 

She hated cancer!  She hated the fact that it had taken yet another victim.  Its merciless clutches were pulling yet another innocent, kind-hearted soul away from people who needed him.

Uncle Charles didn’t deserve this!  He shouldn’t be dead!  He should be right here next to her, next to all of them, threatening something horrible if…  She had no idea what he might be saying and she was too sad, too grief-stricken to even think of something.

“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust,” the minister said.  She was motioned forward, handed a rose from one of the arrangements.  Scarlett knew she should toss the flower onto the coffin, but she couldn’t do it.  She couldn’t say this final goodbye. 

Oh goodness!  She’d thought she had said goodbye at the hospital just before he’d died but obviously, she hadn’t finished. 

“It’s okay, love,” Grayson said, his deep voice reverberating through her body with reassurance.  His strong arm wrapped around her shoulders.  That touch, that gentle reassurance, gave her the strength to release the flower.  She watched it flutter into the hole, landing silently on the casket.  Grayson’s rose came next and they both moved on, allowing others to do the same.  One by one, the mourners filed past, adding their flowers, their thoughts and prayers, silently saying their goodbyes. 

When everyone had finally paid their respects, Scarlett stood there, surrounded by the numerous students who had been touched by this man’s life as headmaster.  So many people, so many lives changed because of this man’s bountiful care.  Uncle Charles had always been stern with discipline and demanding of excellence, but equally generous with his praise.  He’d been headmaster of the boarding school for decades, constantly leading boys through a challenging and exciting time in their lives.  But none were as affected as the five men who were lined up behind her. 

Without Charles’ intervention, she wasn’t sure what might have happened to them.  One was a British aristocrat, another a powerful sheik.  The other three were extremely powerful in their own right.  But one of them, the man with his arm around her shoulders, the man she…well, he might have ended up in prison if it hadn’t been for Uncle Charles. 

“You okay?” Grayson asked gently. 

Scarlett looked up at Grayson, wishing she could simply lay her head against his broad, muscular chest.  But that wasn’t…they didn’t…

She sighed.  Grayson wasn’t hers.  Not in that way.  No matter how much she might wish it. 

Nodding, she accepted that this was the end of Uncle Charles’ life.  This was the real final goodbye.  Uncle Charles, the man who had dropped everything to come get her after her parent’s tragic car accident, was now gone from this life. 

Reaching out, she felt for Grayson’s hand.  She needed his strength now and he never failed to provide exactly what she needed.  No matter what she asked, Grayson was always there for her.  She moved slightly closer, just wanting to feel the heat emanating from his large, muscular body.  Grayson’s warmth and strength surrounded her cold hand, just as it always had.  She wanted to lean into him, but she stood tall, trying to be strong for the others. 

But as she looked around, Scarlett remembered that the other four all had their wives!  Damon, Stefan, Harrison…even Malik had a beautiful wife standing beside him. 

She had Grayson.  Sort of. 

She loved this man more than anything.  She’d loved him since she was twelve years old.  Maybe even longer.  There had always been something about him that had drawn her to him.  The other guys, yes, they were wonderful.  All of them were tall, strong, powerful and wealthy.  Every one of them would drop whatever was happening in his life if she needed help.  But they were like her big brothers.  They were big and tall and normally annoying, but also sweet and kind and shockingly generous.  Oh, and she definitely needed to add that they were overly protective.  To the point that they drove her nuts at times. 

Grayson…he wasn’t.  He wasn’t her brother.  Not at all!  He was big and tall and super powerful as well but he was…different.  She didn’t think of him in the same way as the others even though she’d grown up surrounded by all of them.  And she could never think of the enormous brute as a brother.  That special something about him called to her, made her whole body tingle with excitement whenever he stepped into a room. 

Damn him!  Why did he have to be so wonderful?  So perfect!  He was always there for her!  When she was scared, she called him.  When he had a success in business, she ran to him, eager to celebrate with him.  When he bought a new house or penthouse apartment, she decorated it for him.  She loved him.  Every part of him, every emotion, every obnoxious, irritating, heavenly part of him. 

But did he return those feelings?  No!  He thought of her as his baby sister, just like all the other guys.  Well, she wasn’t his baby sister!  She was a grown woman with wants and needs!

From the moment Uncle Charles had revealed that he had cancer, all six of them, plus their wives now, had surrounded the man.  Each of them, with their unimaginable wealth, had tried to save him, come up with a cure for the cancer that slowly taken his life away. 

But none could save the dying man. 

And now he was gone.  His body was down in the cold earth and she wanted to scream at the injustice of it all.  Grayson’s hand slid under her hair, holding her head close as the grief shook her body.  Well, at least she had this, she told herself. 

Back at her house, Scarlett walked in and looked around, not sure what to do.  She struggled to find something to say, some way to help each of these men.  Damon, Harrison, Stefan and Malik all moved into the living room, holding their wives close.  These men, including Grayson who stood aside, his hands in his pockets as he stared at the floor, had been like sons to Uncle Charles.  The man had been the headmaster at their boarding school, had never given up on any of them even when they’d all deserved to be expelled for their constant, vicious fighting.  It wasn’t until Scarlett had shown up that the five of them had stopped fighting.  Uncle Charles had said that Scarlett had saved their lives that day.  But she’d been just five years old.  She’d come from her parent’s funeral and walked in to find the five of them fighting, all of them just a pile of swinging fists and flying feet.  With her presence, they’d stopped the fighting.  And with Scarlett’s presence and the uniting force that it produced, the six of them had become best friends.

Oh, goodness, she remembered the day that they’d all graduated and gone off to college.  It had been the second worst day of her life, her parent’s funeral being the worst.  But today ranked up higher than the day these five men had left her to go their own way. 

Thankfully, the six of them, now ten with each of their wonderful wives, remained friends, coming together often to have a meal and catch up.  Barely a month went by when several of them didn’t get together.  It used to be just a meal at a hotel or restaurant.  Now that there were so many of them, the arrangements were a bit more complicated, but they all still got together as often as they could. 

What was going to happen now? 

She glanced over at Grayson, finding him staring right back at her.  She wasn’t sure what to think about that look. 

And right now, she was too confused, too sad and hurt, to figure anything out. 

“The other mourners will be here soon,” she finally said, the first words spoken since the burial. 

All of them nodded.  “The caterers have prepared food.”  She took a deep breath and lifted her head.  Looking into each man’s eyes, she smiled.  “Let’s make this a celebration of his life and not…” her voice broke as she tried to speak and Grayson came over, putting his arm around her shoulders.  Instantly, she felt better.  “Let’s not make this sad,” she said even though her chin was still quivering.  “Uncle Charles made a difference in so many peoples’ lives.  We should celebrate everything he was – not dwell on the fact that he isn’t here any longer.”

The men nodded their heads and Livia, Stefan’s wife, stepped out of the room.  She came back a moment later with a tray filled with champagne glasses and Scarlett smiled her thanks as each of them took a glass. 

All of them stood in a circle, none exactly sure what to say.  It was such a poignant loss and each of them experienced a deluge of emotions as they replayed memories of a man who had acted as a father to each of them, often more so than their actual blood relatives. 

“To Uncle Charles,” Grayson finally said and lifted his glass into the air.  A mummer of agreement chimed around the group and ten glasses lifted up in a sad celebration.  “To Uncle Charles,” they all said, then sipped the cold, sparkling wine. 

Two hours later, it was once again just the six of them.  The men’s wives had all gone to their hotel rooms and Scarlett was looking around at the five men, laughing at all of the stories, their memories. 

This had been good, she thought, feeling better.  Uncle Charles had died several days ago, and the time between then and now had been full of arrangements to make.  Although the details had given her something else to concentrate on, before Uncle Charles died, she’d been by his side constantly, holding his hand.  Now, talking about all of the wonderful times she and the others had shared with Uncle Charles, she felt better.  The sadness was gone, replaced by a happiness that she’d been given so much time with the wonderful man. 

For the first time in several weeks, she felt as if her heart was lifted.  The sadness was gone.  At least for now.  She knew she’d have moments in the future, moments when she would miss him again, but for now, she could breathe easier.  This was good.  These men had helped, Grayson’s touch had helped, and talking had brought about a form of healing. 

She smiled as she sipped her whiskey, impressed when the others slammed back their drinks and held their glass out for more.  For a while now, there had been only laughter between them, sharing fond memories of the man who had been so much more than their headmaster.  Scarlett was curled up at the end of the sofa, her shoes long gone and the tears a distant memory.  At least for now. 

“You doing okay?” Grayson asked softly.  He was sitting beside her but they weren’t touching even though she’d like nothing better than to crawl onto his lap and lay her head on his shoulder.  He wasn’t drinking as much as the others, but he could still slam them back. 

“I’m okay,” she told him and was surprised that she really was.  They’d all had months to get used to the reality of him dying, had slowly watched him lose the unbeatable battle with cancer and now, as they all sat around the living room, there was a sense of peace.  A rightness in being together. 

He took her hand, squeezing it slightly.  It was a silent message that he was there for her. 

A moment later, Malik stood up.  “We need to go.  Our wives will be wondering what’s happened to us.”  He looked at Grayson.  “Can you stay and take care of Scarlett?” he asked.  The four other men stood, each of them looking at Grayson as well, as if they were trying to tell him something important. 

“I’ll be here,” he said and stood up, keeping her hand in his.  “For as long as she needs.”

The four others reached out and kissed Scarlett’s cheek, giving her their brotherly support.  It was a wonderful feeling to know that these men were there for her.  There was nothing they couldn’t do, she thought.  They were all so powerful, so amazingly intelligent and wealthy.  Each of them was a force, but put the five of them together and it was like a powerful coalition.  No one messed with these men! 

And she loved them all! 

When the door closed on the last one, she turned to find Grayson collecting the glasses.  His tie had long ago been tossed to the side, his jacket was probably over a chair somewhere which meant that she had an unfettered view of the tailored material stretching across the muscular expanse of Grayson’s shoulders.  He was so well put together, she thought, still leaning against the door.

Grayson felt her eyes on him and looked across the living room to where she was standing, leaning against the front door.  “What?” he asked, amusement in his eyes. 

Scarlett sighed, wishing she had the courage to just tell him how much she wanted him to take her into his arms and make love to her.  She shivered, thinking how he could touch her gently and her mind turned to mush. 

He was probably dating someone again.  She laughed at that, looking up at the ceiling, thinking of how ridiculous that thought was.  Grayson didn’t “date”.  He had mistresses.  He had them tucked into apartments wherever he needed them.

“What’s so amusing?” he asked as he carried the glasses to her kitchen.  The room had clean lines and pretty colors, reflecting the owner’s preferences.  As an interior designer, Grayson knew that Scarlett tried very hard to make sure that the rooms reflected the owner’s preferences.  He should know.  He’d bought many properties and allowed Scarlett the freedom to create.  In every instance, she’d done an outstanding job.  Most of her projects appeared in the decorating or home magazines and her business had grown exponentially in just the short amount of time that she’d been on her own.